Body lifts are not a single procedure. Rather, they are a combination of procedures all performed at the same time to help shape the body after weight loss. Often these procedures combine liposuction, tummy tucks, arm lifts, butt lifts, and more, all in surgeries that take as long as 8 hours to shape all different parts of the body at once.

This is where we get into the good news. Studies have shown that combining procedures is rarely indicative of an increase in complications. In other words – while the risk of surgery is always present, additional complex surgeries do not appear to increase the risk of complications.

Studies Confirming No Decreased Safety in Numbers

Several studies have attempted to measure the complexity and depth of the surgery with an increase in complications, and have found that the risk is unlikely, if it occurs at all. Some sample studies include:

This study, which looked at patients that underwent only abdominoplasty (tummy tucks), and those that underwent abdominiplasty with one or more major plastic surgery procedures, found that there was no difference in complications that could be traced back to the types of surgery themselves. In other words, it didn’t matter whether the person underwent just a tummy tuck or a significantly more complex procedure – risks and outcomes were exactly the same.

Even though it’s a bit less broad, this study provided great insight into the safety of multiple plastic surgery procedures, because it looked at a common combination of procedures: tummy tucks, and tummy tucks with liposuction, to determine if there were any complications as a result of adding liposuction to the traditional tummy tuck procedure. The result showed that there were no additional complications when adding liposuction to the procedure.

Understanding the Science of Your Medical Treatments

All of these studies just scratch the surface, and as always, more research needs to be done. Certainly there are differences between just an arm lift (a procedure that takes a few hours and focuses only on the arms) and a total body lift (a 16 hour, two part procedure that removes excess skin and fat from your entire body).

But the point of this research is to determine whether or not the risk of the procedures you’re undergoing are worth the reward, and whether or not combining procedures is worth any increase in risk. In some cases, the answer will be yes, especially because the increase of risk is low or non-existent. In other cases, the answer may be no.

The best thing to do is speak with Dr. Agha about your concerns, your body goals, and more, and receive an honest opinion about the cosmetic procedures that you can undergo safely, and the risk/reward of undergoing these procedures. If you live in Orange County (Newport Beach, Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana, and more) or Los Angeles, call Plastic Surgery Body Contouring Center today at 949-644-2442.